Shirley Sotloff, mother of captured US journalist Steven Sotloff, appeals to Isil for his release

The mother of a US hostage who has been threatened with death by Isil, the
jihadist group that murdered James Foley, pleads for her son's life in an
emotional televised appeal

By Ed Adams, and AFP, video source APTN

5:51PM BST 27 Aug 2014

Shirley Sotloff, mother of 31-year-old freelance reporter Steven Sotloff, has directly addressed the leader of so-called Islamic State, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, in a video message distributed to The New York Times

"My son is Steven is in your hands," she said. "He is a journalist who made a journey to cover the story of Muslims suffering at the hands of tyrants.

"As a mother, I ask your justice to be merciful and not punish my son for matters he has no control over."

In the footage a masked militant beheads US reporter James Foley then parades Mr Sotloff, warning he will meet the same fate unless US President Barack Obama ends air strikes against the group in Iraq.